Adventure games are incredibly popular, and it's easy to see why, as not only are players transported to an entirely new world, but they also become fully immersed in the environment and story that drive their journey forward. The joy that comes from exploring an uncharted landscape or uncovering a hidden mystery is truly unmatched, and there are numerous games within the genre that focus on slightly different aspects of design. Many games send players to the future, but there are also plenty where the past becomes the present, as they explore a world from a time long ago, and all the authentic details that come with it.
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Looking at the next few months, there are certainly quite a few games that fit that bill of a historical adventure driven by detail, both in terms of visuals and also the actual gameplay elements. Some put a lot of attention into the combat and create a loop that emulates the style and approach that would have been present in the era, while others shift to the actual settings, ensuring that every finer snippet is accurate and true to reality. Whatever the method and whatever the intention, these games are certain to please history fans looking to dive into a different time that they may never have seen before.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
1 1348: Ex Voto
An Italian Tale Of Chivalry
Details:
- Cinematic realism
- European-inspired combat
1348: Ex Voto places players in a vivid interpretation of 14th-century Italy, a period marked by political upheaval, religious conflict, and the beginnings of the Renaissance. Set against this backdrop, the narrative follows Aeta, a knight-errant searching for her kidnapped companion Bianca, blending the personal drama with a historically grounded environment that is both visually gorgeous and true to reality.
The developers themselves are based in Italy, so their dedication to environmental and cultural authenticity is very clear in everything from the visuals to the HEMA-inspired combat. Rather than going for high-fantasy absurdity, the game is looking to strive for a more grounded, realistic tone that captures the harshness of an era that was filled with so much pain and suffering for virtually every person in society.
2 The Legend of Khiimori
Surviving The Harshness Of Nature
Details:
- 13th-century Mongolian landscapes
- In-depth horse management
The Legend of Khiimori is rooted in the nomadic cultures of medieval Mongolia, inviting players to carve out a legacy as a skilled courier rider in a world covered with snow-capped peaks, lush plains, and vast stretches of deserted land. The main focus is on survival, as players need to both care for themselves and their horses, the latter of which has incredibly realistic behavior that becomes a primary driving force for the player's progression and exploration.
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As they become more comfortable with their surroundings, players will need to breed and train horses with unique traits to give them a better chance of surviving the potentially perilous journeys that lie before them. Overall, it is a game that is dedicated to staying true to a culture that had previously been fairly unseen in the gaming world, but with a project of this much ambition, that rich history may finally reach a wider modern audience.
3 The Vernyhorn
Dark, Brutal, And Deeply Atmospheric
Details:
- Recreation of real Polish landscapes
- Authentic soundscapes directly from nature
The VernyHorn is a dark, open-world RPG that pays homage to classic games within the genre, but moves forward into a more brutal direction that many players will have never seen before. Everything about the game just screams realism, from the combat motion capture completed by a sword-fighting world champion to the environment that has been crafted using actual Polish locations and scans that bring the beauty of nature into the digital world.
From a mechanical standpoint, the fights are heavy and raw, giving players a lot of tools to control the outcome of each encounter, both before the confrontation actually starts and even when their weapon drops to the ground. There are no flashy VFX or absurd sequences, just gritty and brutal violence that is about as close to the history that inspires the world as it can get.
4 Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
Same Universe, Different Story
Details:
- Visually stunning environments
- Complex puzzle designs
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy takes the foundational lore of the A Plague Tale universe and reimagines it through an earlier historical lens. Before the events of the previous games, players find themselves in the shoes of Sophia and her mission to navigate a mysterious island in a world steeped in ancient secrets and supernatural threats that may be far from reality, but they are still rooted in existing stories and mythology.
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The game's narrative merges the ancient civilization with real-world historical flavor, keeping every puzzle and challenge within a believable realm, despite the more abstract themes and environments. The balance between historical accuracy and otherworldly legends looks to bring something new to the franchise, and hopefully, the story will be just as emotionally engaging to give long-time fans a whole new protagonist to root for.
5 Knight's Path
Every Fight Grounded In Reality
Details:
- Handcrafted medieval world
- Combat influenced by real historical techniques
Knight’s Path is a medieval action RPG that takes players to a grounded low-fantasy world inspired by the Holy Roman Empire, where they begin their journey as a disgraced aristocrat striving to reclaim their status through knighthood. Its combat is heavily influenced by historical European martial arts, emphasizing timing, countering, and tactical positioning over button-mashing, and this accuracy extends to the weapons and armor, with enemies having clear weaknesses that can be exploited based on their gear appearance alone.
Alongside the fighting, players will find that there is very little guidance and minimal UI, both aspects that feed into the game's dedication to immersion and true world simulation. It's an adventure about learning and progressing through the knightly ranks and mastering everything surrounding medieval sword combat in a world that emulates the past, whilst still moving into a new realm of its own.
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